If you are dehydrated, your body is not getting the fluid it needs. Depending on the extent, the deficiency leads to mild to severe disturbances of well-being or health.
When dehydration begins, thirst, headaches, lack of concentration and dry skin often appear. The urine takes on a darker color. In the long term, a lack of liquid leads to dehydration (exsiccosis). It can lead to other disorders such as persistent constipation and kidney disease. If the deficiency exceeds a certain threshold, it leads to life-threatening volume deficiency shock.
Dehydration, also known as dehydration, dehydration, or dehydration, occurs when people drink too little fluids, lose too much fluid, or both together. Possible causes include unfavorable drinking habits, illnesses, injuries, the use of certain medications and others. Many people also don't know how much to drink per day and what increases or decreases their fluid needs. In the event of a deficiency, those affected have to drink more or, if necessary, receive the liquid by infusion. Missing salts (electrolytes) often have to be added.
Dehydration Causes And Risk Factors
Dehydration occurs when people drink too little, or their body eliminates or loses too much fluid, or both.
Illnesses, declining physical abilities and other circumstances can negatively affect fluid intake:
- Decreased thirst is the most common cause in older people.
- Incontinence and an overactive bladder can tempt people into adopting unfavorable drinking habits. They drink too little in order to “have to” less.
- Declining dexterity makes it more difficult, among other things, to open cans and bottles. In order to avoid unpleasant situations, those affected can drink too little.
- Some people with dementia forget to drink regularly and often suffer from swallowing disorders.
- Difficulty swallowing hinders drinking and can reduce the amount you drink. This is not uncommon in dementia and after a stroke.
- Some diseases and conditions can cause the body to eliminate more fluid than usual, or to lose excess fluid.
- Illnesses with fever, vomiting or diarrhea, kidney disease, diabetes, diabetic coma and sepsis (blood poisoning) cause the body to lose larger amounts of fluid than normal through sweat, vomit, stool or urine.
- In the case of severe injuries and extensive burns, the body loses a great deal of fluid through bleeding or uncontrolled escaping bodily fluids.
- Medications such as diuretics increase urine output from the kidneys, thereby increasing fluid loss.
Risk factors
Inappropriate drinking behavior increases the risk of dehydration. In situations where the body sweats more or otherwise loses more fluids, it should be given more fluids. This applies, for example, in a hot climate, during physical exertion and in very dry air. Other risk factors include the chronic diseases listed under "Causes" and the long-term use of diuretics. There are also age- and gender-specific factors.
- Male gender: Some studies show that men need more fluids than women.
- Infants and toddlers: The small bodies have lower fluid reserves, so losses lead to a deficiency more quickly.
- Old age: The feeling of thirst decreases, the body's water content decreases and the kidneys excrete more water in the urine.
Dehydration Symptoms
Are you tired and maybe your head hurts a bit?
Have you noticed that you haven't been drinking much lately?
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| dehydration |
Then it is very possible that there is a connection. Difficulty concentrating, tiredness and headaches are among the most common complaints that appear early on with dehydration. However, it can express itself in many ways: The human body consists of around 70% water, which plays an important role in metabolism. Therefore, when there is a lack of fluid, the whole system can suffer. However, many sufferers do not associate symptoms such as headaches and difficulty concentrating with a lack of fluids. They tend to assume that they are exhausted - often because they do not know how much liquid they need to drink every day. This is influenced by weight, climate, physical exertion and other factors. You should be aware of the individual needs listed under "Prevention" in order to be able to trace the often unclear symptoms to a degree of dehydration with some degree of certainty. It is commonly manifested by symptoms such as these:
- Thirst, dry mouth and dry tongue
- Headache
- Lack of concentration
- Fatigue, weakness
- Dizziness
- Strongly colored to dark urine, decrease in the amount of urine
- Dry, itchy skin
- Brittle to cracked lips
- Weight loss
In heat, physical exertion or both together, the risk of heat injuries such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke increases because the body can no longer sweat enough or not at all.
Exsiccosis: persistent lack of fluids
If there is a lack of liquid for a long time, the body dries out (exsiccosis). The main symptom, i.e. typical characteristics, of dehydration are standing skin folds: if you pinch the skin on the back of the hand to form folds, these “stand still”. The skin does not immediately become smooth again.
Many bodily functions can be disturbed. Because the mucous membranes are drier, the risk of respiratory infections, for example, increases. The amount of urine decreases, increasing the risk of urinary tract infections. Wounds also heal more slowly. Common episodes are further:
- Sharp decrease in the amount of urine
- Low blood pressure due to decrease in blood volume
- Chronic constipation
- Kidney pain, disorders of kidney function
- Muscle cramps, seizures
- Increased risk of blood clots (thrombi) forming and impeding or blocking blood flow in blood vessels (thrombosis, thromboembolism)
Severe dehydration
Once the body has lost a tenth (10%) of its fluid, critical conditions such as delirium are at risk. This can manifest itself, for example, in disorders of consciousness, orientation, circulation, changes in behavior and hallucinations. From 12% fluid loss, a hypovolemic shock (volume deficiency shock) is possible. Then the blood volume has decreased so much that the blood pressure drops significantly. Although the heart pumps harder to compensate, it can no longer supply the brain and the outer parts of the body with enough blood. As a result, disorders of consciousness or loss of consciousness appear. Hands and feet are pale and cold. Other symptoms may occur. If the body fluid decreases even further, circulatory collapse and coma will eventually occur. Severe diarrhea, severe vomiting, severe blood loss and extensive burns are common triggers for extreme dehydration with shock.
Dehydration in children and the elderly
Babies and young children can quickly become dehydrated because their bodies have few reserves. Young and old people should be encouraged to drink regularly. Common triggers for large fluid losses in children are diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and heat or romping around in heated, poorly ventilated rooms. If children refuse to drink, a deficiency quickly occurs. The best drinks are water, mineral water, unsweetened fruit and herbal tea and thin fruit spritzers. Fruit nectar, fruit juice drinks, soft drinks such as cola or lemonade, iced tea and chocolate drinks are considered unsuitable because they contain a lot of sugar.
Dehydration is a common problem in the elderly. The body changes with age: the fluid reserves and the feeling of thirst decrease, the excretion of water through the kidneys increases. Thirst can be completely absent as a sign of deficiency. Drinking schedules or other procedures that guarantee the intake of certain daily amounts are therefore advantageous for older people. If seniors can no longer keep such plans on their own due to health problems, relatives, carers or caregivers have a duty. Health problems such as constipation in older people are often due to a lack of fluids. In many cases, this is a result of inadequate supervision or care.
Dehydration Treatment
Treatment consists primarily of restoring a healthy fluid balance. This means supplying missing liquid and - if necessary - also missing electrolytes. It also makes sense to clarify the cause of the defect and to rectify it if possible. In addition, certain symptoms can be relieved.
- Intake of lack of liquid: Those affected can compensate for a slight lack of liquid themselves by drinking plenty of water. You should not drink hastily, but in small sips. Because the body usually lacks salts, drinks that contain electrolytes are a good idea. If you are severely dehydrated, infusions may be necessary.
- Electrolyte intake: A lack of fluids is often accompanied by a lack of important salts. To balance both, fruit spritzers or bouillon are suitable. There are also special electrolyte drinks and electrolyte replacement solutions. In the case of a severe deficiency, the doctor determines whether and how many electrolytes are missing. Then he prepares an appropriate infusion. Serious side effects are possible if the infusion is given too quickly or if the salt level is incorrect.
- Eliminate the cause of the defect: If it is clear where the defect comes from, something can often be done about the cause. Unfavorable drinking behavior can be recognized, improved and checked if those affected record their drinking and urine quantities for several days. The amount you drink can also be adjusted to increased excretion, such as that caused by taking diuretics. Causative diseases or injuries must be treated.
- Alleviate symptoms: Accompanying medication and other aids can improve the symptoms. For example, painkillers help with frequent headaches or body lotions against dry and itchy skin.